However, the judge did not force Lorenza Pearson to give up his lions, tigers, bears and other animals and did not levy a $100,000 fine sought by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Judge Victor Palmer, in his April 6 order pulling Pearson'slicense, said basic hygiene and sanitation were absent from the L&LExotic Animal Farm. When water sources froze in the winter, theanimals had nothing to drink, Palmer wrote.

Drainage was so poor in the animals' pens that they enduredstaying wet, and when hibernating bears were jarred awake, therewas no food for them, the order said.

Inspectors cited Pearson "because of the deplorable conditionsthat existed at his animal farm," Palmer wrote. The orderpermanently disqualifies Pearson from obtaining another license.Pearson will appeal the judge's order, attorney William Whitakersaid Saturday. If an administrative appeal fails, Pearson will takethe matter to U.S. District Court, Whitaker said.

Pearson has the pens cleaned two or three times a day and aveterinarian is available full time, Whitaker said.

"He runs a very caring and competent farm. The findings by thelaw judge are contradicted by the facts presented at the hearing,"Whitaker said.

At Pearson's hearing in June, lawyers from the USDA presentedevidence of more than 900 alleged violations of the Animal WelfareAct.

A USDA inspector testified that during that visit he noted theonly food for 10 large cats was a dead animal contaminated withdirt and feces.

Authorities removed 29 animals from Pearson's complex in 2004,including 15 tigers and eight lions, because of public healthconcerns.

Pearson was cited by Palmer for 26 violations of the federalAnimal Welfare Act between Jan. 5, 2000, and Feb. 22, 2006.

Palmer rejected Pearson's defense that his problems with federalinspectors stemmed from his failure to cooperate with aveterinarian in an investigation of another exotic-animalexhibitor. That led federal inspectors to seek revenge against himthrough repeated inspections, Pearson claimed.

Between 1999 and 2005, Pearson had as many as 82 animals at thesame time - mostly exotic cats and bears, Palmer said in hisreport.

The number of animals that Pearson had varied at times, but hehad a medium-sized exotic animal operation, Palmer noted.